(courtesy of Karen Nichols, co-owner, Cherry Dog Orchards in Fallon. Makes 16 bars)
1 stick, plus 5 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups pitted Cherry Dog Orchards cherries
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon coarse salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray an 8-by-8-inch pan with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Spray the parchment paper.
Beat the butter with sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Add flour and salt, and beat until dough forms clumps but doesn’t completely hold together. Press 2½ cups of the dough mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a crust.
In a bowl, stir together cherries, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and salt. Pour cherry mixture on top of crust.
Crumble remaining crust mixture evenly over the top, squeezing to create clumps. Put pan in oven and bake until bubbling in the center and crust is golden, about 1 hour. If it’s browning too quickly, tent the top with foil.
Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.
